The Head of Testing is a strategic senior leadership role accountable for Axial's overall Testing Strategy as well as overseeing all testing activities related to the systems implementation and deployment across AstraZeneca's core process and program areas. You will manage a team of 15. This position focuses on securing resources and expertise from relevant process teams to ensure the seamless integration, functionality, and user acceptance of critical business systems supporting Material Management and Procurement, Network Supply Chain Management, Production to Dispatch Door/Make, Order and Distribution to Tax (including Pricing and Logistics), Record to Report, Enterprise Planning & Management Reporting, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and Intelligent Clinical Supply Management. Testing activities are executed by a team in both a direct reporting line (primarily Business Testing activities) and dotted reporting line (Technology Testing activities or 3rd party testing) so a matrix leadership style is essential. The role emphasizes coordination with cross‑functional teams, including IT, business units, process owners, and external vendors, to deliver high‑quality, reliable systems that support AstraZeneca's mission of advancing healthcare innovation.
Strategy and Governance
* Develop and implement a unified testing strategy by collaborating with process teams across AstraZeneca's key areas, ensuring alignment with business objectives and IT roadmaps.
* Establish testing policies, standards, and best practices in collaboration with process experts to ensure consistency, quality, and compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., GXP, GDPR, and other pharmaceutical industry standards).
* Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure testing effectiveness, leveraging input from process teams to assess system reliability and defect resolution rates.
Resource and Expertise Coordination
* Identify and secure appropriate resources and subject matter experts (SMEs) from process teams in areas such as Production to Dispatch Door/Make, Order and Distribution to Tax, and Intelligent Clinical Supply Management to support testing activities.
* Facilitate the involvement of business stakeholders and process owners to provide domain‑specific knowledge for test planning, execution, and validation, ensuring their expertise drives testing accuracy.
* Act as a bridge between testing teams, ensuring the right personnel are engaged at the right time to address testing needs for Axial.
Technology Testing Alignment (SIT and Non‑Functional Testing)
* Ensure, through influence and collaboration with the Technology Test Lead (dotted line report), that their technology testing activities are defined and completed within approved timelines to the appropriate level of compliance and quality.
* Collaborate with the Technology Testing team, solution architects, and process SMEs to advocate for the inclusion of business requirements and priorities in technology test plans, ensuring seamless data flow and functionality across processes like pricing and logistics.
* Provide guidance and input to technology test teams by leveraging insights from business process teams to identify potential integration risks that could impact operational workflows, facilitating resolution through stakeholder engagement.
* Define and govern formal Entry/Exit criteria for SIT and UAT, including defect thresholds, test coverage (functional and integration), performance baselines, data readiness, and environment stability.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
* Lead the coordination of UAT processes by securing participation from business stakeholders in areas like Material Management and Procurement to ensure systems meet operational needs and user expectations.
* Facilitate the creation of UAT test scripts, scenarios, and acceptance criteria by working with process teams to capture business requirements for areas such as distribution to tax or clinical supply management.
* Act as the primary liaison to channel feedback, defects, and enhancements identified during UAT phases, ensuring process experts' insights are integrated into system refinements.
Data Preparation and Management
* Direct the preparation of test data by coordinating with process teams to support testing activities for systems related to Enterprise Planning & Management Reporting and Intelligent Clinical Supply Management, ensuring data accuracy and compliance.
* Oversee the creation of synthetic or anonymized datasets by leveraging expertise from relevant teams, especially for systems handling sensitive information in clinical supply chains or financial reporting.
* Collaborate with data governance and process teams to ensure test environments mirror production systems for processes like procurement or logistics without compromising data integrity.
End‑to‑End Testing and Deployment Support
* Manage end‑to‑end testing by securing process team involvement to validate business workflows across systems, such as from procurement to production or order to distribution.
* Support pre‑deployment and post‑deployment testing by coordinating with relevant experts to confirm system stability in live environments for processes like ESG reporting or clinical supply chains.
* Work with change management and process teams to ensure smooth transitions during system rollouts, minimizing disruption to operations like manufacturing or financial reporting.
* Manage the test environment and data strategies, ensuring version control, refresh cadence, transport orchestration, and compliant synthetic/anonymized datasets with repeatability.
Team Leadership and Collaboration
* Lead a team of testing professionals, fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration, while ensuring they connect with process teams for domain‑specific insights.
* Partner with project managers, business analysts, and external vendors to align testing schedules with project timelines, securing process team resources for systems supporting supply chain or financial processes.
* Facilitate training and guidance sessions by involving process experts to educate business users and IT staff on testing methodologies for areas like pricing systems or sustainability tracking tools.
Risk Management and Quality Assurance
* Identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with system testing and deployment by consulting process teams for insights on areas like clinical supply management or tax compliance.
* Ensure all testing activities adhere to AstraZeneca's quality assurance (QA) standards and regulatory compliance requirements by leveraging process team expertise.
* Drive root cause analysis for critical defects by coordinating with relevant business units to prevent recurrence in systems impacting production or distribution.
Tools and Technology
* Maximise value obtained from enterprise strategic testing tools and platforms (e.g., JIRA, TestRail, or automated testing frameworks).
* Stay informed of industry trends in testing technologies and collaborate with process teams to recommend solutions tailored to AstraZeneca's supply chain and financial systems.
Essential Skills
* Strong Test Management Skills, Business Testing acumen and full test lifecycle management understanding.
* Good knowledge of software testing and automation.
* Excellent communication and relationship management skills; strong leadership and coaching skills.
* Experience with suppliers and supplier solutions; sensitivity to environment.
Experience
* Extensive years of experience in full testing lifecycles on complex global programs.
Technical Skills
* Proficiency in testing methodologies, tools, and frameworks; experience with automated testing tools and test management software.
* General understanding of ERP systems (e.g., SAP) and supply chain platforms.
Coordination and Influence Skills
* Exceptional ability to secure resources and expertise from cross‑functional teams and influence stakeholders to ensure business‑relevant considerations are addressed in testing activities, including SIT.
Leadership
* Proven ability to lead and orchestrate cross‑functional collaboration, manage diverse stakeholders, and drive strategic initiatives in a fast‑paced environment through influence rather than direct control.
Communication
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to facilitate discussions between technical IT teams and business process owners to align on testing priorities.
Problem‑Solving
* Strong analytical skills to identify testing challenges and coordinate with process teams to develop effective solutions during deployment phases.
Desirable
* Strong leadership experience overseeing business testing for large‑scale system implementations, preferably in the pharmaceutical or biotech sector.
* Experience with S/4HANA; basic familiarity with pharmaceutical industry regulations (e.g., FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GxP) and data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
Axial Programme Overview
The Axial programme needs the best talent to work in it. Whether it's the technical skills, business understanding or change leadership, we want to ensure we have the strongest team deployed throughout. We are aiming to deliver a world class change programme that leaves all employees with a fuller understanding of their role in the end‑to‑end nature of our global company. This programme will provide AZ with a competitive edge, to the benefit of our employees, customers and patients. Axial is a large‑scale transformation programme powered by S/4HANA, implemented across the organisation to standardise processes, enhance financial management, common data and real‑time reporting, transforming the way we work through the entire supply chain – from bench to patient.
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